Bourjois Smoky Eye eyeshadow Palette 04 Nude

Eyeshadow is never really my highest priority. I have a few I like, rarely branch out in terms of colour and actually if I had to live without it, it probably wouldn't cost me a thought. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of the smouldering smoky-eyed look, but I have a staple few graphite greys and silvers that achieve this – mostly from MAC, which repurchase time and time again. I have tried one or two of the Bourjois singles eyeshadows in the past, they didn't wow me and felt I was drawn in by the cute pot it came in. However, the sultry smoky look isn't for the office and I fancied a change from my normal slick of eyeliner.

Whilst browsing a few months ago, this little trio caught my eye (no pun intended). The shades in this Smoky Eye Palette are just delicious - a shimmery gold and metallic copper, alongside a deep chocolate brown that adds a bit of drama. I have worn the gold and copper on their own, when I have been short of time, they are perfect for everyday wear and they really make a blue eye zing. The darkest shade is also great to use along the lash line, a softer alternative to using a kohl pencil or a liquid eyeliner. There's a brief tutorial on how to apply the three shades together on the back of the packaging, can't say I followed these instructions, but its a nice touch, I guess. The packaging is pretty basic and the applicator is ok, personally I'd prefer to use a brush for eyeshadow. I do find I need to use quite heavily to get any depth of colour - they aren't overly pigmented. I don't use a primer on my eyelids and this does tend to last all day and doesn't gather in the crease line.

In all, a nice little palette that won't break the bank. They have a great shade range, six in total to choose from. Have you tried any of the Bourjois Smoky Eye Palettes?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

You can't avoid reviews on the Bourjois Healthy Mix range. I've already written a review on the Healthy Mix Serum and was curious to try the regular Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, so at around £10, I thought I'd see how it stacked up against it's serum sibling.

Again, I picked shade No. 52 Vanilla, this suited my skin in the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation and rather than swatch again, I just picked the same shade. When I bought this it was the depths of December and if shade 51 had been available, I probably would have chosen it instead. My one bugbear about the shade range is all the lighter shades have a slight yellow undertone, not ideal for me. The formula is light and quite fluid, though not at all runny. I find it easy to work with and blend into the skin, generally using a buffing or stippling brush. It's buildable, though I find one pump of this foundation is enough for my whole face. The finish is somewhere between a matte and satin, when blended well it gives a flawless finish and isn't at all 'cakey'. Its moisturising and I don't feel it sitting on my skin. There's a list of fruity ingredients, it wasn't a selling point for me and I'm not sure I believe all their claims, but they give the formula a nice fruity scent, which is pretty short lived. It gives a nice evenness to the skin tone and for me, covers any redness in my skin. You can see how good the coverage is in the pics, my lovely blotchy red hand has been transformed. The staying power isn't fantastic - nowhere near the 16hrs claim on the packaging, though I feel it gets me through the working day, with a teensy bit of powder on the t-zone at lunchtime. I find a spritz of setting spray works better as a setting agent than a powder, I use my Eau Thermale Avène.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with this foundation. There's a very fine line of preference between this and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. If I had to pick one, I think it would be the gel based Serum. It gives a slightly more dewy finish and just seems to last a bit longer on my skin. Definitely a good budget purchase - if you haven't already, give it a go!

Top Two High Street Foundations: Rimmel Match Perfection & Bourjois Healthy Mix serum

I'll be honest, I've always been a bit of a snob when it comes to foundation, tending to spend a bit more rather than less. However, since starting to read so many beauty blogs, I've realised there are some great products out there for a fraction of the price, that are used and trusted by those who really know their stuff. Realising that I can save a few pennies is always good, so here are my high street favourites:

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation: No. 102 Light Nude
This Rimmel purchase took me back a few years, the first foundation I ever bought was from this brand, in fact, as was most of my make up back then. I read a huge number of raving reviews on Rimmel's Wake Me Up foundation and so gave it a whirl. I was sorely disappointed, the finish was lovely and I was impressed, my skin, on the other hand, was not as I found it reduced me to a bit of a spotty mess. It was with hesitation I decided I'd give the Match Perfection a go. I waited for the breakout, and waited, and was pleasantly surprised when not a single spot raised its ugly head. The finish is lovely, it's dewy enough to give me a fresh-faced look, but not super-shiny, for me it's similar to MAC's Studio Sculpt. The formula is thicker than expected, but easy to work into the skin - I use a buffing brush and find it blends well and gives a medium coverage and lasts a good 6 hours, slightly longer if use a primer though I'd prefer the finish without.

I chose shade 102 Light Beige, which was the most suitable out of the 11 shades available, its a touch too dark for me in the dead of winter, but in summer when i have a bit more colour in my cheeks, it's almost perfect. Rimmel claims this foundation has 'Advanced Smart-Tone Technology' that is supposed to help the foundation adapt to your skin colour for an 'undetectable' finish. I'm not sure if this is the case or not, but it's certainly earned me a fair few compliments on my skin and I'd say its great, affordable, everyday foundation that I will definitely repurchase.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation: No. 52 Vanilla
This foundation had so much hype, it seems it was almost rude not to try it. Given the endless number of amazing reviews this product had behind it, I had very high hopes for it.

My first impressions weren't as great as i had hoped. I bought it on the hop, having a particularly bad skin day and needing a quick fix before I headed for drinks after work. Though, giving it a second chance and applying with a brush rather than my fingers, I began to get what everyone was raving about. It gives a flawless, natural finish, that's glowy and fresh. It's gel based formula is light and easy to blend and build coverage. It feels moisturising and light on the skin, lasting most of the day - though I definitely have to set with powder, especially on the t-zone. I bought shade 52, Vanilla, which is perfect for my skin tone - to be honest, it doesn't really look like I'm wearing make up at all. Another definite repurchase for me!

What are your favourite high street bargain beauty buys?